Web-feeding mechanism



May 1927' V L. JENSEN WEB FEEDING .mmcnmxsm Filed Jun e 12, 1924 4 Shets-Sheet 1 fwd/was JZVZUW Z Zaza'a Jizowz May 10 1927. 1,627,905

L. JENSEN WEB FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 12, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zola/'6 Jensevz;

May 10 {1927. 1,627,905

L. JENSEN was rsmnmmmcnmxsm Filed June 12, 1924 4 Shuts-55110 3 1927. May JENSEN WEB FEEDING MECHANISM 4 Shoots-Sheet 4 Filed June 12, 1924 zom'aJc vw'erv, v

Patented May 10, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS JENSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO UNITED AUTOGRAPHIC REGIS- TER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WEB-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Application filed June 12, 1924. Serial No. 719,594.

My present invention relates to mechanism for feeding continuous webs, and has more particular reference to devices for intermittently feeding the web in a forward direction, and in this connection I have provided a structure that is adapted to stop the discharge of the web from the apparatus at predetermined locations.

Merely for the purpose of convenience, I have herein illustrated and described my invention in connection with an autographic register wherein theweb in the form of paper from one or more rolls thereof and hav ing spaced longitudinal perforations or apertures, is fed across the platen, and when the feeding mechanism is actuated toward the forward end of the machine the end of the strip or strips will be discharged a sufiicient distance to be grasped by the hand of the operator and withdrawn to a point where the same is to be severed. While the structure is initially adapted for use in connection with an autographic register, the mechanism is equally well adapted for use in moving a web or strip of material or tissue other than paper, such as cinematographic film, and even be utilized in. feeding Webs of woven material. and any other use for which the same may be found applicable.

In connection with an autographic register the primary object of my inventionresides in providing a feed mechanism that will move the web a short distance beyond the shearing blade or the end of the support so that the forward end of the Web may be readily grasped by the operator and the strip is withdrawn at predetermined distance by manual operation; It is also an object of my invention to make provision in the aforesaid structure for the automatic stoppage of the withdrawal of the web so that only the desired length of the web can be withdrawn after each single operation of the feeding mechanism. lVhen used in connection with autographic registers these are desirable features for the reason that the strip of paper is usually provided with longitudinally spaced apertures or perforations at the head-- ing or top edge portion of each ticket that is printed upon the web, and it is desirable to withdraw only a single ticket or superposed set of tickets at a time.

Heretofore, in mechanisms for feeding webs and particularly strips of paper in autographic registers, the structure has been extremely complicated, especially where means are also employed for stopping the movement or withdrawal of the web in the proper position to tear off a set of tickets. It has been one of the objects of my invention to accomplish these functions in a dependable manner and through the instrumentalit-ies of a minimum number of parts, so that the cost of production of an apparatus of this character is materially reduced. I have found by actual comparison that with my present structure, I have reduced the number of parts between fifty and ninety percent, and this of courseresults in a material saving in the cost .of assembling.

I prefer to carry out my invention and accomplish the before-mentioned objects hereof in substantially the manner hereinafter described and as more particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being now made to the accompanying drawings that form a portion of this specification,

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical end elevation at the discharge end of an autographic register showing the application of my improvements thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the forward portion or discharge end of the structure illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan of the structure illustrated in Figure 1, a portion of the marginal or top-frame broken away.

Figure 4 is a perspective of the forward end of an autographic register, and illustrating paper we Figures 5 and 5 are schematic views of the relative positions of the parts of my invention at the beginning of the feed operation.

Figures 6 and 6 are schematic views of the relative positions of the parts of my invention at the end of the feeding operation.

Figures 7 and 7 are schematic views of the relative positions of the parts of my invention at the time the feeding members are withdrawn or retracted from the web.

Figures 8 and 8 are schematic views of the relative positions of the parts of my in vention atthe moment the feeding members have been moved backward where they remain stationary until the arms thereof enter the succeeding perforations after the web has been pulled out manually.

mg feed and stop mechanism for the Figure 9 is a plan of a portion of a web such as is employed in an autographic register.

The web supporting plate 10 is connected along its longitudinal edges to upper portions of the upright elements or walls 13 and i l and the webs preferably lead from the roll or rolls journaled upon the free ends of yielding supports 16 that are secured to the walls 13 and 1 respectively. It is usual, in an autographic register, to provide amarginal top frame or cover 17, the central portion of which open as at 18 to expose the web so that it may be written upon. The marginal frame 17 is hinged at 19 along one of its longitudinal edges to an extension 20 projecting from the side wall ll, and the transverse edge of said frame at the discharge of the register is provided with a cutting blade 21 against which the paper is pulled in an upward direction to shear the latter for separatingthe tickets from the web. Longitudinally elongated apertures 22 are provided in the web supporting plate or platen 10 adjacent to and preferably below the cutting edge 2i, and said platen is also provided with an open recess 25 in the forward portion that extends beyond the cutting edge of the marginal frame for convenience in grasping the forward edges of the web or webs.

The structure I have utilized for feeding the web or webs is shown in detail assembly in Figures 1, 2 and l and consists preferably of an actuating rock-shaft 24 that is journaled in the side walls 13 and M- and one end thereof extends through said wall where it is provided with an operating handle 25. Surrounding an end port-ion of the actuating rockshaft 24-. inside the wall 1.4L is a coiled spring 26, one end thereof being secured to a collar 27 fixed to the rock shaft 2-2l-and the opposite end being secured to said side wall 14 of the structure. This coiled spring 26 urges roclr-shaft 24; in a direction of movement that is clockwise when viewed from the side of the structure upon which the handle 25 is positioned. Below the actuating rockshaft 2l is a secondary rock-shat t 28 that is journaied in the side walls 13 and Ll of the structure and said shaft 28 like the rockshaft 2% is surrounded by a coiled expansion spring 29 having one end secured to a collar 30 fixed upon said shaft and its other end connected to the adjacent side wall 14 of the structure so the tendency of said spring 2!) is to urge the shaft in a rotational movement in the same direction as the spring 26 urges the actuating rock-shaft 2 L. Secured upon the rock-shaft 28 so as to be moved therewith are lateral arms 31 that project forwardly from the shaft and which, in normal position, are in a substantially horizontal plane, will be seen in Figures 2, i and These arms 31, at their outer ends, support the substantially vertical disposed oscillating feed levers 32, that consist of elongated narrow plates of slightly segmental or curved shape and which are of sutlicient length to extend through the slots or elongated apertures 22 in the supporting plate and through the perforations in the webs. The upper ends of these arms are provided with antifriction rollers 33, the purpose of which will hereinafter more fully appear. For the purpose of oscillating these levers upon the pivot pins 3 L that fulcrum their lower ends on the outer ends of arms 31 l have provided said levers with elongated slots 35 of preferably segmental shape that are engaged" by lateral projections or pins 36 upon the outer ends of suitable crank arms 37' that are secured upon and rotate with the actuating rock-shaft 2i heretofore mentioned.

hen the handle 25 is raised to rock the shaft 2i in counter-clockwise direction the crank arms 37 will be moved downwardly and the pins thereon will operate in the slots 35 of the levers 32 and will thereby oscillate said levers upon their pivots This operation will move the upper ends of the levers, which are positioned in the apertures in the webs, toward the discharge end of the structure and will thereby carry the webs a corresponding distance so that the end portions of the webs will be projected beyond the cutting plate 21 where they may be grasped by the operator who takes hold of the same by the thumb and fingers in the recess or notch 23 in the supporting plate 10. It is necessary, however, to withdraw the upper ends of the levers 32 from the apertures in the webs prior to the further with drawal of the web, otherwise, when the web is pulled the same would become damaged or torn by the levers. The operator therefore continues to raise the handle 25 until the arcuate movement of lever 32 is stopped prior to grasping the projected ends of the webs and pins 36 engage the lower ends of the slots 35 and therefore move the levers 32 bodily in a downward direction, causing. the secondary rock-shaft 28 to rotate against its spring 29. The relative positions of the lever and the connected parts at this point is illustrated schematically in Figure 7 of the drawings which shows the upper end of a lever withdrawn from an aperture or perforation in the web.

In the position last described, and in the event the handle 25 should be released, the upper end of the lever would, due to the action of the springs 26 and 29, return upwardly to the web again, engage the aperture and move backwardly, which would buckle the paper. It is desirable, therefore, to retard this upward movement of the levers 32, and in order to do so I have provided a pawl and ratchet structure which includes a cam block 38 secured to thesecondary rock-shaft 28, which block is provided with a shoulder 39 to be engaged by the pawl element in the form of a spring plate. Connected at its upper end upon a bracket 40 secured to the side wall 13 of the structure, is a bowed spring 41 that is so arranged that its lower end is urged against the outer face of the cam block 38 and when the secondary rock-shaft 28 has been rotated to withdraw or retract the lever 32 from the aperture in the web, the lower end of said bowed spring 41 will engage the shoulder 39 of the cam block and will therefore prevent the backward rota.- tion of the secondary rock-shaft 28 until it is released by the operation of the mecha nism. The actuating rock-shaft 24, however, is always freeto rotate in a return or reverse direction, and when the samemoves baokwardly the pins 36 and the crank arms 37 will ride upwardly in the slots 35of the levers 32 and will move said the levers have been oscillated in a rear-.

ward direction a distance suflicient to clear the apertures 1n the webs the secondary rock-shaft 28 willbe released and permitted to rotate backwardly and bodily raises the levers into engagement with the Webs at points back of the aperture therein. The release of the secondary rock-shaft 28 is accomplished by disengaging the end of the bowed spring 41 from the shoulder 39 of the cam block through the medium of a release finger 42 secured on the actuating rock-shaft 24 so as to engage the bowed spring 41 and, due to the backward rotation of the actuating rock-shaft 24, will move the bowed spring a distance against its own tension to disengage its lower end from the shoulder 39 and thereby permit the secondary rock-shaft 28 to freely rotate in its re verse direction so that the arms 31 will raise the levers 32 bodily in an upward direction and cause their upper ends to engage the web back of the perforations. The rollers 33 on the ends of the levers will bear against the webs thereby reducing the friction of the contact against the webs as they are moved out of the structure. The opera tor now grasps the projected end or ends of the web or webs and withdraws the same from the structure until the next succeeding set of perforations 12 come into registry with the upper ends of the levers 32, whereupon the spring 29 causes the rock-shaft 28 to further rotate in a reverse direction to raise the levers 32 to their upward limit as they enter the perforations in the webs. This will stop the further withdrawal of the web or webs. I have provided a lateral projection in the form of a pin 43 extending from the adjacent side wall 13 of the structure which limits the movement of the actuating rock-shaft 24 in the direction of the feed of the webs by engagement with the, projecting element 42 heretofore described, and I have also provided a pin 44' such a structure may be readily substituted therefore and used with equal facility. I have provided a pivoted plate 45 belowthe supporting plate 10, the body of which inclines obliquely upwardly in the directionof movement of the web and said plate is urged towards the front member of the margin frame by a coiled spring 46 so that the upper edge of the plate yieldingly engages the under surface of the web through the recess 23 and presses the same towards the marginal plate to prevent any accidental backward movement of the web.

It will be obvious to others skilled in the art that divers modifications, refinements and changes may be made without departing from the principles I have herein disclosed. I therefore desire itunderstood that all such changes are fully contemplated as coming within the scope of my invention as'expressed in the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is: v

1. A'web feed mechanism comprising a rock-shaft, a lever eccentrically fulcrumed on said shaft, and means for causing an oscillatory movement of said lever while engaged with the web to move the latter, said leverbeing moved into engagement with the web by the rocking of said shaft.

2. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations comprising a 1OCl Sl12L'ft, a lever eccentrically fulcrumed with respect to said shaft and normally engaged in a perforation of the web, and means for causing an oscillatory movement of said lever while positioned in the perforation to move the web longitudinally, said lever being moved into the perforation by the rocking of said shaft.

3. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, comprising a pivoted lever adapted to enter successive perforations, and means for os-.

cillating said lever upon its fulcrum to move the webs, which means also moves the lever transverse to the web and withdraws said lever from perforations in the web.

4. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, comprising a pivoted lever, and means for oscillating said lever upon its fulcrum, the

lever being fulcrumed upon said means, which latter also moves the lever transverse to the web and withdraws said lever from successive perforations in the web.

5. A feed mechanism for a web having longitudinally spaced perforations comprising a lever pivoted at its lower end and adapted to enter successive perforations, an oscillatory support therefor that moves said lever transversely with respect to the web, and means for oscillating said lever longitudinally with respect to the web and independently of said support whereby to feed the web.

6. A web feeding mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, a lever fulcrumed at one end and adapted to enter successive perforations, and means for actuating said lever whereby the same is moved on its pivot to feed the web and is bodily moved transverse to the web to disengage therefrom.

7. In a feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, a pivoted lever adapted to enter successive perforations, and means for moving the lever upon its pivot whereby the web is fed, which means moves said lever transverse to the web to draw it from the perforations.

8. In a feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations. a pivotal lever adapted to enter successive perforations, and means for rocking the same, the lever being fulcrumed independently of said means, which means during the actuating of said lever moves the latter transverse to the web to withdraw it from the web and the other movement of said lever moving said web intermittently.

9. In a feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, arocking lever adapted to enter successive perforations, a secondary rock-shaft to which said lever is pivotally connected and means connected to an intermediate portion of said lever for rocking the lever and moving it transverse to the web whereby the web is moved intermittently and the lever is then withdrawn therefrom.

10. In a feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, a rocking lever, a secondary rock-shaft having a lateral member that pivotally supports said lever, an actuating rocleshaft, and an arm mounted upon and movable with said actuating rock-shaft and operatively connected to said lcvcr whereby the movement of said arm actuates said lever to intermittently move the Web and disengage the same.

11. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, comprising a secondary rocking lever provided with an elongated slot and adapted to enter successive perforations, an automatically returnable rock-shaft, an arm projecting therefrom and pivotally supporting said lever, an actuating rock-shaft, and an arm projecting from said last named shaft and having a sliding engagement at its outer end with the slotted portion of said lever, whereby a. rocking of said actuating shaft will move said lever in a forward and downward direction to move the web and then will withdraw the lever therefrom and move the same to a position to enter a succeeding perforation to stop the withdrawal of the web.

12. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, comprising a secondary rock-shaft, arms mounted thereon and projecting laterally therefrom, levers pivoted upon the outer ends of said arms and normally engaged in perforations of the Web, said levers having slots intermediate their ends, an actuating rock-shaft independent of the firstnamed rock-shaft. arms mounted upon and projecting laterally from said actuating rock-shaft, and lateral members upon said last-named arms that are positioned in the slots of said levers, whereby the movement of the actuating rock-shaft oscillates said levers to move the web a predetermined distance and then to withdraw to a position to permit the further movement of the web and thereby engage succeeding perforations in the web when the levers and the perforations register.

13. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, comprising a secondary rock-shaft, oscillating levers having eccentric pivotal connection with and supported by said shaft, an actuating rock-shaft, and a pin and slot connection between said levers and actuating shaft whereby the web is intermittently moved by the oscillation of said levers through the medium of said actuating shaft during the engagement of the levers with successive web perforations.

14. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, comprising a secondary rock-shaft, oscillating levers supported by said shaft and hav ing eccentric pivotal connection therewith, an actuating rock-shaft, lateral arms extending therefrom towards said levers, and a pin and slot connection between said levers and actuating shaft, whereby the web is intermittently moved by the oscillation of said levers through the medium of said actuating shaft during the engagement of the levers with successive web perforations.

15. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, comprising a spring returnable secondary rock-shaft, arms projecting laterally therefrom, oscillating web-engaging levers pivotally supported upon said arms and nor- Cit mally engaged in transversely alining web perforations, a spring-returnable actuating shaft, and a pin and slot connection between said levers and actuating shaft, whereby the web is intermittently moved by the oscillation of said levers through the medium of said actuating shaft during the engagement of the levers with successive web perforations.

16. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations, comprising a spring-returnable secondary rock-shaft, arms projecting laterally therefrom, oscillating web-engaging levers pivotally supported upon said arms and normally engaged in transversely alining web perforations, at spring-returnable actuating shaft, lateral arms extending from said actuating shaft, and a pin and slot connection between said levers and last-mentioned arms, whereby the web is intermittently moved by the oscillation of said levers through the medium of said actuating shaft during the engagement of the levers with successive web perforations.

17. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations comprising a pivoted lever normally engaged in a web perforation, means for moving said lever upon its fulcrum to move the web forwardly, means for withdrawing said lever at the end of the aforesaid movement, and means for maintaining said lever in withdrawn position while being moved back of the previously engaged perforation.

18. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations comprising a pivoted lever normally engaged in a web perforation, means for moving said lever upon its fulcrum to move the web forwardly, means for withdrawing said lever at the end of the aforesaid movement, pawl and ratchet devices for maintaining said lever in withdrawn position while being moved back of the previously engaged perforation, and an element actuated by the first-mentioned means for releasing said pawl and ratchet'devices.

19. A feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations comprising a pivoted lever adapted to enter successive perforations, a secondary rockshaft to which said lever is eccentrically fulcrumed, an actuating rock-shaft having a pin and slot connection with said lever whereby said lever is oscillated to move the web and through the medium of said actuating rock shaft is withdrawn from the web, and means for maintaining said lever in withdrawn position while being moved back of the previously engaged perforation.

20. A feed mechanism for web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations comprising a pivoted lever adapted to enter successive perforations, a secondary rockshaft to which said lever is eccentrically fulcrumed, an actuating rock-shaft having pin and slot connection with said lever whereby said lever is oscillated to move the web and through the medium of said actuating rock shaft is withdrawn from the web, a pawl and ratchet device for maintaining said lever in withdrawn position while being moved back of the previously engaged perforation, and an element for releasing said pawl and ratchet device.

feed mechanism for a web or webs having longitudinally spaced perforations compr sing a pivoted lever adapted to enter successive perforations, a secondary rockshaft to which said lever is eccentrically fulcrumed, an actuating rock-shaft having pin and slot connection with said lever whereby said lever is oscillated to move the web and through the medium of said actuating rock shaft is withdrawn from the web, a pawl and ratchet device operatively connected w th the first-named rock-shaft for maintaining said lever in withdrawn position while being moved back of the previously engaged perforation, I and an element mounted on said actuating rock-shaft for releasing said pawl and ratchet device.

22 A feed mechanism for a web or webs having perforations therein comprising a lever, rock-shafts in juxtaposition to said lever, and means operatively connecting said shafts to said lever, whereby a movement of one of said shafts causes a rocking of the other shaft and said lever is caused to en gage perforations in the web, move said web intermittently, and withdraw therefrom.

Signed atChicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 29th day of May 1924.

LOUIS JENSEN. 

